Exercise and hunger

WickAndArtoo

I am sure this has been asked a million times, but I need some comradeship please! I get hungrier after exercise, more so than the extra calories I earn. How do you handle this, I am assuming I can’t be alone here help!

pamfgil

What kind of exercise are you doing?

Mslmesq

Are you drinking enough water after you exercise? A lot of times dehydration is mistaken for hunger.

Honestly, I rarely am hungry after exercise. If anything, the opposite. Sometimes I was hungry and lose my appetite a little. Happens when I’m cooking too, so who knows.

WickAndArtoo

pamfgil wrote: »

What kind of exercise are you doing?

Pretty much everything. I do yoga, hiking, running, strength (both with weights and body weights), jump rope etc. I don’t do it all at once, just different things different days (I do yoga and other things on the same days, but I am in pretty decent shape and it’s only a 20 min beginners dvd). I’ve noticed the excess hunger with everything I do, unless I just walk (this is because I walk nearly every day with my dogs so my body must be more used to it).

WickAndArtoo

Mslmesq wrote: »

Are you drinking enough water after you exercise? A lot of times dehydration is mistaken for hunger.

Honestly, I rarely am hungry after exercise. If anything, the opposite. Sometimes I was hungry and lose my appetite a little. Happens when I’m cooking too, so who knows.

It’s usually later in the day, not immediately after. I just notice that I tend to be hungry again after a solid dinner on days I work out, but on days I don’t my dinner is plenty.

You make a really good point about hydration, now that you mention it I could definitely be making this mistake!!

litoria

Oh yes, hungry like the wolf! I know this feeling. And I struggled with strategies to manage it for ages. The only approach that has worked for me has been increasing my calories. Now eating 1850 a day and losing consistently on this. (But gaining muscle)

WickAndArtoo

litoria wrote: »

Oh yes, hungry like the wolf! I know this feeling. And I struggled with strategies to manage it for ages. The only approach that has worked for me has been increasing my calories. Now eating 1850 a day and losing consistently on this. (But gaining muscle)

Glad I’m not alone! What does your exercise schedule look like to achieve this balance?

kingscrown

I’ve been exercising for years and I don’t get hungrier anymore. I always have a planned snack or just lunch after because I know my body needs it. You can eat something that won’t be more than 500 cals. Big salad with grill chicken for example. Plan a snack or a meal just knowing you need it. It hopefully will get easier for you.

peaceout_aly

I get hungry too, I feel like it's a common occurrence. Make sure you stay hydrated before and during your work out. If you are lifting heavy or doing a ton of cardio it may in fact be your body telling you to eat a little more to fuel those work outs and build muscle.

WickAndArtoo

kingscrown wrote: »

I’ve been exercising for years and I don’t get hungrier anymore. I always have a planned snack or just lunch after because I know my body needs it. You can eat something that won’t be more than 500 cals. Big salad with grill chicken for example. Plan a snack or a meal just knowing you need it. It hopefully will get easier for you.

Thank you for sharing your experience with this. I always make sure I fuel up with a complete meal before and after for things that I know will take more out of me. That’s why I find it so interesting that I am still extra hungry at night. I am hoping that my body will become accustomed to it like yours.

It’s weird because in the past I never thought much of it and would just eat as much as I felt hungry for, but now that I am more aware of my calories I would love to have a little more control! I am more interested in building muscle than losing weight, but eating a ton extra after a cardio exercise isn’t really helping me there I don’t think.

Cbean08

It depends on what I do. Cardio doesn't tend to make me very hungry. But, heavy barbell work will definitely increase the hunger. I try to focus on eating more protein and fat to help keep me feeling full.

pamfgil

Sometimes getting your heart rate up really high can suppress your appetite, you don't need long, a couple 30 second sprints as part of your exercise may do it

Duck_Puddle

I think this is an individual thing. Some people don’t get hungry, some do. Some get hungry after weights, some after higher intensity cardio, some after long-duration cardio, sometimes the same day, sometimes the next day, any combination of the above...I don’t think there’s a single universal experience.

I get ravenously hungry on long run days (anything over 10-12 miles). I sometimes get hungrier the day after a heavy weight workout. I plan my intake accordingly (meaning I “Bank” calories for long run days knowing that I’m going to be ravenous on those days, and tend to save a bit to eat the day after a heavy weight workout). I don’t generally have hunger issues with other types of workouts.

deannalfisher

if you are using the MFP calorie calculation - are you eating back exercise cals? (their recommendation does not include purposeful exercise)

MelanieCN77

I get the same thing a couple hours after I work out. I've managed it by taking a 150-200 cal snack to the gym with me for right after, and making sure I have another one of 150-200 cals another hour later. I'm usually not far from lunch then so I don't overeat at that time.

boehle

One thing I hate about morning workouts, I feel like all I want to do is eat the whole day away but I love my morning workouts because I feel accomplished.
I try the drink more water when you are hungry, but sometimes my stomach growls like a bear and the people around me think we are about to be attacked!

WilmaValley

It is so important to eat before and after your wokouts, that will help.